of london



April 14, 1925..

E. M. FERNS ADJUSTABLE CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE FOR EMULSIFYI NG Filed Aug. 8. 1924 5% veizi afl g Patented Apr. 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,533,843 PATENT OFFICE.

ETHEL MARY FERNS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE FERNS EMULSIFIERS LTD, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, A BRITISH COMPANY.

ADJUSTABLE CENTBIFUGAL MACHINE FOR EMULSIFYING.

Application filed August 8, 1924. Serial No. 730,952.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I,'ETHEL MARY Farms, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 13 Ladbroke Square, London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Centrifugal Machines for Emulsifying, of which the following is a specification.

The forming of an emulsion of a fatty material with a watery fluid means that the fatty material is transformed from a co herent mass or liquid into small particles, termed globules, which are distributed in the fluid and which, because of the size, keep apart and do not join each other again. The size into which the lobules must be reduced to make sure that t ey will keep apart, de- A pends upon difierent circumstances, for instance, the physical character of the fatty material, the temperature at which the ready made emulsion is kept, and the object of the emulsification (digestibility of the fat in emulsions of milk fat, codliver oil etc.). In practically every case, the size of the fat globules will differ. It is therefore of importance for manufacturers that an emulsifying apparatus or atomizer shall be adjustable to perform the different kinds of atomizing-work that may be required, and it is this problem the present invention deals with. The apparatus consists of two or more circular metal plates or discs, which are dished or scooped out on their juxtaposed'sides in such a way that they are provided at their periphery with a sharp edged brim. These plates are supported one above.

the other, brim towards brim, in such a manner that a lenticular space is left between them. This space forms an outlet for any 4 fluids that are introduced into it, and by using, for instance, screws, rods, sleeves. org? the like of a certain length as distance pieces, it is possibleto make the opening be tween the brims of any desired dimension.

A mixture ofthe liquids is adv-ante.-

. geously introduced into the space between the plates through an axial hole formed in the upper part of the supporting shaftand provided with lateral holes arranged to'd is tribute the mixture as uniformly as os sible throughout such space under the action of the centrifugal force due to the rotation of the chamber abou'tits axis.* i

In the accompanying drawings, I have 55. shown how my said invention may be con- Figure 1 is a vertical central section and Figure 2 a plan showing one form of my improved emulsifying apparatus.

Figures 3 and 4 are similar views to F ig- Hures 1 and 2 respectively showing a modification.

Referring to Figures-1 and 2: A is a vertical shaft which is capable of being rotated at a high speed in any suitable known man ner. 'lhis shaft is provided; with a shoulder B against which rests one of the dished plates 0, which has an axial screw threaded hole to receive the part of the shaft A of smallerdiameter. The other dished plate D has an axial hole to fit over the part of the shaft A of larger diameter, the plate Cpl) being retained at the required distance apart by means, of sleeves or tubes; E, E which glide over pins F, F secured at the lower end to the plate C. The plates are held together by means of a nut, Gr, fitting onto the upper screw threaded part A of the shaft A. This upper part of the shaft is provided with an axial hole H which is open at the top to permit the introduction of the mixture of liquids and is provided with an annular series of'holes J, J at the bottom for the distribution of the liquids throughout the lenticular space between the .dished plates. By using distance pieces E, E of different lengths the width of the, annular space K between the brims of the dished plates, C, D can be varied as required to give the desired character of emulsion.

The operation of the improved machine is as follows -After the distance K be tween the brims of the plates C, D has been adjusted by means of a set of distance pieces, E, E such that, an opening suitable to the work to 'be done is obtained between the "brims, the nut G is screwed on, and the machine is set in rotation. When the desired angular velocity and thereby the necessary centrifugal force is obtained, the mixture of I ingredientsto be emulsified is fed in through the aperture H, and is projected out of the apparatus through the opening K between the brims, emulsification taking place at that moment. The fluid after leaving the machine is liberated from the high pressure to which it was exposed while in the machine, and breaks up into a mist, the fine- I ness of which is chiefly determined by the relation existing between pressure and outlet opening. The mist is collected as an 3 emulsion in a suitable receiver arranged around the rotary plates.

In the modification shown in Figures3 and 4, the atomizer is made with three hollowedout plates C, D, L which are arranged to a .diate plate L.

I claim: 1. An emulsifying apparatus comprising in combination: a pair of rotatable circular discs, having their juxtaposed faces dished or scooped out to form sharpedged brims, means for securing said discs ,to-

gether so as to leave an annular space of uniform width between the brims, and means for supplying a mixture of liquids to the space between said discs.

2. An emulsifying apparatus comprising in combination: a pair of rotatable circular discs, havin their juxtaposed faces dished or scoope out to form sharp edged brims, means for adjustably securing said discs together so as to leave an annular space of uniform but adjustable width between the brims, and means for supplying a mixture of liquids to the space between said discs.

3. An emulsifying apparatus comprising in combination: a pair of rotatable circular discs, having their juxtaposed faces dished or scooped out to form sharp edged brims, pins arranged on the inner face of one disc, tubular distance pieces fitting on said pins,.means for clamping said discs together, and means for supplying a mixture of liquids to the s ace between said discs.

4. An emulsifying apparatus comprising in combination: a pair of rotatable circular discs, having their juxtaposed faces dished or scooped out to form sharp edged brims, interchangeable distance pieces arranged between said discs, means for clamping said discs together, and means for supplying a mixture of liquids to the space between said discs.

5. An emulsifying apparatus comprising in combination: a pair of circular discs, having their juxtaposed faces dished or scooped out to form sharp edged brims, distance pieces arranged between said discs, a

central rotatable shaft common to said.

discs, a nut threaded on said shaft for clamping said discs together, and means for supplying a mixture of liquids to the space between said discs.

6. An emulsifying apparatus comprising in combination: a pair of circular discs, having their juxtaposed faces dished ion scooped out to form sharp edged brims,

means for securing said discs together so as to leave an annular space of uniform width between the brims, means for supplying a mixture of liquids to the space between said discs, and a rotatable shaft common to said discs and upon which said'discs are fast.

7 An emulsifying apparatus comprising in combination: a pair of circular discs, having their juxtaposed faces dished or scooped out to form sharp ed ed brims, means for adjustably securing said discs together so as to leave an annular spaceof uniform but adjustable width between the brims, means for supplying a mixture of liquids to the space between said discs, and a rotatable shaft common to said discs and upon which said discs are fast.

8. An emulsifying apparatus comprising in combination: a pair of circular discs, having their juxtaposed faces dished or scooped out to form sharp edged brims, pins arranged on the inner face of one disc, tubular distance pieces fitting on said pins, means for clamping said discs together, means for supplying a mixture of liquids to the space between said discs, and a rotatable shaft common to said discs and upon which said discs are fast. 1

9. An emulsifying apparatus comprising in combination: a pair of circular discs having their juxtaposed faces dished or scooped out to form sharp edged brims, interchangeable distance pieces arranged between said discs, means for clamping said discs together, means for supplying a mixture of liquids to the space between said discs, and a rotatable shaft, common to said discs and upon which said discs are fast.

10. An emulsifying apparatus comprising in combination: a pair of circular discs having their juxtaposed faces dished or scooped out to form sharp edged brims, distance in combination: a pair of circular discs,-

having their juxtaposed faces dished or scooped out to form sharp edged brims, means for securing said discs together so as to leave an annularospace of uniform width between the brims, and a rotatable shaft common to said discs and upon which said discs are fast, said shaft having a central conduit bored therein and radial holes connecting said conduit and the space between I said discs.

12. An emulsifying apparatus comprising in combination: a pair of circular discs, having their juxtaposed faces dished or scooped out to form sharp edged brims, means for a sesses adjustably securing said discs together so as to leave an annular space of uniform hut adjustable width hetween the bikinis, and a rotatable central shaft common to said discs and upon which said discs are fast, said shaft having a central conduit bored therein and radial holes connecting said conduit and the space between said discs.

13. An emulsifying apparatus comprising in combination: a pair of circular discs, having their juxtaposed faces dished or scooped out to form sharp edged hrims, pins ar ranged on the inner face of one disc, tulhular distance pieces fitting on said pins, means for clainping said discs together, and a so tatable central shaft common to said discs and upon which said discs are fast, said shaft havin a longitudinal loose and radial holes connecting said hose and the space he tween said discs.

14;. An emulsifying apparatus comprising in combination: a plurality of circular discs having their juxtaposed faces dished OI scooped out to form sharp edged briins, in-

terchangeable distance pieces arranged he tween said discs, means forclamping said discs together, and a rotatable central shaft common to said discs and upon which said discs are fast said shaft'having a longitudinal bore and radial holes connecting said bore and thespaces between the juxtaposed faces of said discs. 

